Operation RUN
by asd'viers.dfga
Summary: "My name's Kuki," She smiled brightly, joy irradiating from her very being. "What's your's?" Kuki/Wally
1. Two Roads Diverge

I don't own KND.

Operation RUN:

Realization

Undermines

Nothing

I: Two Roads Diverge

* * *

He had been a fugitive on the run for five years now. On the very cusp of adulthood, he knew that they would try more than ever to capture him and take him to the moonbase for his long overdue decommissioning. Never in the entire history of the Kids Next Door had an operative fought so passionately and so resiliently against his fellow teammates. Granted, they had decommissioned all his friends and relocated his family to an undisclosed location. They cut all ties to his old life, leaving him with nowhere to take refuge; his sector wouldn't remember him and his family thought that he was dead. To make matters worse, his numbuh had been reassigned to a new, younger operative who was part of his own former sector, and almost every one of his battles was between him and the new Sector V. But the very worst was that he had been forced to watch her decommissioned. He knew that the day would come eventually; she wasn't as rebellious as he was, she didn't put up a fight at all. He had done everything he could do, but he couldn't have done much anyway. He watched as she blew out the candles on her cake, as she stepped into the decommissioning chamber, as her memories were ripped from her mind and she emerged a new person, still the same oriental girl that he had known but then not the same girl he had known. This girl was thirteen, like he had been, but she was changed. Her bubbly aura was gone, her smile held a hidden sorrow that only she could know. This almost disheartened him. Hollow, he could feel his knees buckling and his eyes began to shrink wrap in prickly tears. But he had managed to escape with his sanity barely intact.

Everything was still painfully just as vivid, as if he were still there. Wallabee Beatles stoked the fire he had built. The adults at the hotel had kicked him out when they realized who he was; his reputation of trashing hotel rooms had apparently preceded him. They had even given him a full cash refund. He combed his messy blonde hair away from his eyes, out of habit more than anything else. And to think - tomorrow was his eighteenth birthday.

"Not me damn fault they always gotta attack in tha' middle o' tha' night," He said aloud, grimacing painfully, his voice cracking and rough from disuse. It was necessary to survival sometimes to talk to himself. He had nobody else.

The few hours that remained until daylight passed uneventfully and sleeplessly, as Wally wondered just how many subsequent nights a person could go without sleep. At sunrise Wally pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his eyes and swung his backpack over his shoulders, ready to embark on yet another day of traveling in the shadows. He wandered through the nearest city absent-mindedly. He didn't bother to look where he was going anymore; he just went wherever his feet took him. So sick of running, it was almost to the point where he didn't care anymore if they caught him. All that kept him going was a promise he made to himself and to her, on her thirteenth birthday, that he would never let them make him forget. But what did she care? She didn't remember him anymore, and would never remember him again. And she had let them destroy her memories, she _let_ them! He would probably never even see her again, and if he did she would just pass by him on the streets like any other stranger would.

He paused across from a restaurant, sitting against a wall as his mind was exhausted from the lack of sleep. This was getting ridiculous. It had been five years since he had last seen her, or any of his friends for that matter. He just needed to let it go. Soon enough, the KND operatives would stop hunting him and he would be left alone to deteriorate in his misery. 'A_ppy birthday ta me,_ he thought bitterly. The greasy smell of Asian food drifted across the road, tantalizingly making his mouth water. When was the last time he had eaten? If he couldn't remember, then it had been too long ago, he decided. He stared at the restaurant from the other side of the busy road, mentally begging it to come closer between passing cars.

Suddenly the door opened, the bell near at the top of the doorway ringing minutely, and there she was. With her black hair and her innocent eyes…her eyes were too much for him. He was taken aback with the surprise of seeing her, here, right here. Her hands remained hidden in her sleeves, as they always did, and clasped around a small grocery bag. She had a smile on her face – she always had a smile on her face – as she skipped along the sidewalk in the direction Wally was headed. He stood shakily, gripping the wall with one hand for support.

And suddenly, he was overcome with hatred for the girl. Strengthened by this newfound hatred, he started after her, sticking close to the shadows and keeping his distance.

* * *

He had lost her! He took his eyes off her for one minute, and then he couldn't place her. Wally had a gut feeling that she would lead him directly to what he had been searching for all these years. Panic started to grip him. He was so close, he just knew it! Maybe she knew that he was following her; after all, she could be working for them now. And if he remembered correctly, she had been a very evil little girl.

"Mushi…" he grumbled, kicking a can into the street.

Discouraged, he continued down the sidewalk without paying much attention. At this point, getting lost would be the best thing to do. There was never any real destination in his travels, just one goal – survival. He stuffed his hands in his pockets.

* * *

Judging by the position of the sun in the evening sky, he had to say it was right around seven o'clock. Perfectly good waste of a day, but it was another day spent in freedom. He sat down on a curb on the outskirts of the city to rest, glancing sideways at his suburban surroundings. Typical carefree kids playing with their pets on the spotless lawns. Typical adults doing some last minute yard work or joining in with their children. It all made him sick. Not homesick, but nauseous, disgusted. They could just so easily go about their pointless, many lives and be happy, when terrible things were happening in the world around them. Sleeping in their nice warm houses feasting while he was sleeping outside scrounging up all the money and food he could. It was his birthday, dammit.

At least he could still remember a time when the only thing he worried about on his birthday was the Delightful Children's cake.

He could suddenly hear laughter peeling from a house across the street from him; ringing in his ears with such clarity and happiness…He recognized it! His head snapped forward, eyes intent on the scene before him. In front of an open door, a lithe woman with long hair was bowing graciously to a stern older couple and a smiling kid. It was difficult to tell at this distance, but he was almost certain…The family in question said their goodbyes and the front door shut, leaving the girl standing alone in front of the quiet house. She walked down the sidewalk carefully, holding a box with both hands near her stomach. Her hands…they were both hidden in her sleeves. She paused before continuing down the sidewalk parallel of him slowly, almost as if asking him to join her.

She didn't need to ask him twice. Wally bolted up from his seat and crossed the road in two long strides.

"Uhh," Unfortunately, he hadn't thought ahead as to what he might say to her.

But she didn't seem to notice him. If anything, her pace had quickened.

Wally wanted to get down on one knee, hold her hands, and confess everything; that she was the light of his life, his soul mate, and that no matter what the circumstances, he would be there by her side; he would never leave her again. She was the only reason he had been on the run all these years. But he couldn't. It was hopeless. He stood paralyzed as this young woman left without as much as a glance in his direction. Wally stared after her, but she was walking away, blissfully ignorant to the pain she had caused, was causing now. He turned away and focused his eyes on the pavement in front of him. Just the same as the day she turned thirteen, he felt his stomach turn flips and his knees start to collapse as his eyes stung with tears. He could not move. Sobs were catching in his throat and suffocating him, but he didn't care. He wanted to run as far away as he possibly could, but he was stuck. He let hot tears stream down his dirty face, softly administering sobs between every few breaths.

There he stood, his whole world crashing down on him.

Unaware that the young Asiatic woman behind him had turned slightly to glance back, a nostalgic longing in her eyes that could not quite be placed. That boy…She hadn't seen his eyes; his entire face was shrouded in shadow under his hood. His body shivered with loneliness and regret, his shoulders slumped sadly as he began to shuffle away. A soft gasp brushed passed her lips. She hated to see anyone in so much pain. Turning, she retraced her steps quickly back to him. She had to at least make him feel better, whoever he was.

"Excuse me, sir?"

A song…a beautiful song had drifted through the air in his direction. Such concern in her voice…It wasn't the kind of concern that someone would have for a stranger.

"Wot," He said flatly, afraid of what his voice might do if he gave it too much freedom.

"Are you alright?"

"Ah'm fine," He growled, wiping his face with several swift arm movements. "Why do you care?"

She tilted her head. "I don't know, you just seemed…upset."

Her reply was met with silence. Only his faint sniffling could be heard. Tentatively, she circled around him to face him. They stood in silence for what seemed like hours, his ragged breath showing no signs of slowing and her waiting patiently. After mentally weighing her options, she decided there was only one thing she could do to cheer the boy up. She extended a hand for him to shake.

"My name's Kuki," She smiled brightly, joy irradiated from her very being. "What's your's?"

He was taken aback by her introduction, only barely reaching for her hand before she enthusiastically shook it. "Wally."

* * *

Author's Note: Since this was my first time writing KND stuff, I hope I had them all in character. Originally, this was going to be a one-shot, but I'm thinking about adding another chapter. Criticism would be appreciated!


	2. Memory Gospel

Operation RUN:

Realization

Undermines

Nothing

II: Memory Gospel

* * *

"I know!" She giggled.

"You…wot?" He gasped, unable to keep his astonishment from showing. _She knew?_ He had been putting himself through his own personal hell these past five years for nothing? Wally would've been angry if he wasn't so overcome with joy. He scrunched his face up under his hood to conceal the grin he was sure would spread across his face.

"Well, you looked like a Wally or a William or some kind of a 'W' name," Her eyes curved into their perpetual state of happiness. "That name really suits you!"

He winced slightly at his misinterpretation of her enthusiasm, crossing his arms in frustration. Of course she didn't know; he was more unintelligent than everyone thought if for one second he believed that she retained her memory. "Woteva! I didn' get ta choose mah name…"

Kuki looked befuddled at this strange boy, and at his eagerness to get angry with everything she said. "Well, I happen to really like your name, silly Wally."

He glanced at her quietly, and for the first time in half a decade, he saw the pale violet eyes. Not the ghosts that haunted his sleepless nights, but her real eyes, intense, beautiful. And it was captivating. Thousands of emotions, many of which he couldn't comprehend, were displayed openly there; it was like looking directly into her soul. He had to look away, focusing instead on something else. The boy devoured every detail of her peaceful, pale countenance, burning her image into his brain, because he knew that once he left, he would need to cling to it tightly. And he knew that he would have to leave; he couldn't possibly stay. What had he been thinking? Why bring her into this when she hadn't been involved for all these years? She had lived a normal, blissfully ignorant life since then, and who was he to take that away from her? Emotions had gotten him into this mess, and so far they had found a pretty good way of complicating it.

"Say…" She rocked back on her heels awkwardly, her next sentences rushed as she gestured to the box in her hands. "Would you wanna have tea back at my place? It's authentic Japanese sencha, imported right outta Kyoto!"

As if authentic Japanese whatever or Kyoto meant anything to Wally. If he hadn't been too plagued by the idea of leaving her, he still wouldn't have been excited about some cruddy tea. He had never really liked the stuff, but it always meant so much to Kooks…

"Sure," He rubbed the back of his head nervously. All the possible ways that this night could go wrong ran through his mind, and it terrified him.

She squealed at his consent and grabbed him by the hand, making sure her other hand was firmly gripping the box of tea. The Asian girl led them off towards the city, to her apartment, mumbling some nonsense about tea parties with the Australian hesitantly in tow.

* * *

Kuki led him through the open shoji screen to her dining room. He watched as she kneeled at a low kokatsu table in the middle of the floor, and glanced up at him, signaling him to do the same. Slowly, for he was very unsure of his surroundings, he copied her movements. For the first time since their reunion, she was solemn as she poured the tea carefully. The room they sat in was cozy and very different from her room when they were kids. Wally had no idea that she was so interested in her culture as he silently analyzed everything in his peripheral vision. Oriental pottery and paintings adorned the room appropriately. There were no stuffed animals that he could see – a very strange observation, since the girl's life revolved around them when she was younger. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen any as they passed through her tiny apartment earlier either. The room now seemed almost…barren without them.

"This tea is supposed to cleanse the body," She stated calmly, zen-like. "And help one gain a better perspective on one's problems in life. My family gave it to me as a gift."

That would explain why he had seen Mushi earlier. They both picked up their cup; Kuki with both hands, Wally with only one, and sipped their tea in silence. The young man's mind was mulling over what she said. She was not acting like the same girl he had re-met earlier in the street, with the smile plastered to her face. There was no smile now, and that was something to be worried about. Kuki Sanban always smiled.

"So you were at your parents' earlia', then?" He decided to tactlessly break the silence.

She nodded softly into her cup of tea before lowering it. "Yes. They invited me over to have dinner with them. They're worried about me, I think."

"Why would they be worried abou' you?"

"Cause I'm living on my own here," She gestured around the room.

"You can' be. You're only seventeen!" None of what she was saying made sense to his deluded mind. "Don' you need uh job an' all o' tha'?"

"Well…" Kuki gazed off into space melancholically. "I have one, sorta. As a nurse."

Their boring small talk was getting nowhere. Wally wanted to believe that their friendship still had a chance, but at this rate, things were looking grim. And, somehow, he still held hopes for something beyond friendship. He couldn't hide his disappointment very well.

"Don't blame yourself."

Well, she had his full attention now; he nearly choked on his tea. "Huh?"

She stared at him for several minutes, her violet eyes gazing hard as if trying to find something in his.

"For what happened back then. You couldn't stop them…" A breath caught in her throat and she struggled to keep her fingers from trembling.

"I…I don' undastand," Things were drastically deviating from any scenario that he had played out in his head.

She couldn't hide her betraying emotions any longer as the sparkling tears slowly fell from her eyes. "I remember everything."

She paused, waiting for him to make the connection before continuing.

"I was never decommissioned."

He stood suddenly, angry. "Wot?"

"I knew you would be angry," She sniffled quickly. "But there was no way I could tell you! You disappeared!"

His fury was subdued just as quickly as it had flared up when he saw her crying. Her smile faded into a frown, her eyes sobbing instead of laughing. He couldn't bear it. Tentatively, he leaned across the table and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. All these years…he had wasted all these years for her. His life was nothing but a struggle to survive just so that he could see her one more time before letting go and getting on with his life. And now, she was making things so much more difficult. Yet he could bear no ill feelings towards her.

"Wally?" She whispered, looking up at him but his eyes were shadowed by his blonde hair. "I'm sorry…"

Suddenly she stood to meet him, embracing him in a tight, desperate hug across the table. "I'm so sorry!"

Taken aback, he stood frozen for a moment, barely able to breathe in her death grip as his face was buried in her inky hair. A shy blush crept its way across his face as he benevolently wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Gingerly, he warmed up to the embrace, which wasn't easy after five years of complete isolation from the rest of the world. Wally snuggled further into her hair, waiting for her to dissipate at any second and leave him to his dreams once more. But she didn't. Tighter and tighter would he hug her, and more and more reality began to finally sink in. Wally was holding Kuki, his Kooks, after five years of running and believing her to be decommissioned. In the embrace all was forgiven; he had gotten his best friend back. She pulled away suddenly, holding him at an arm's length while she took her turn examining him. Five years and he hadn't changed one bit. Apart from the widening of his jaw and the broadening of his shoulders, he was still the same Wally; attractive, but in a rough, untamed sort of way. Wearing the same grungy orange sweatshirt and baggy jeans, it was a wonder that he had never thought to dress differently throughout the years. She reached up to touch his hair, still the same shaggy, blonde hair that she remembered; gripping a handful she ruffled it, tufts of yellow poking out between her fingers. Emerald eyes caught her own and she paused, gazing inquisitively into him.

"I neva thought I'd see ya again," He whispered tenderly, bright eyes turning to the floor. "Are ya sure you're really real?"

"Mhm," Kuki purred, pinching her own arm in an attempt to demonstrate her existence. She grinned widely; she had never been so real to him in his entire life.

* * *

Author's Note: I know this chapter isn't as long as the first, but I think I did a better job on it. I'm thinking of continuing with a third chapter, or an epilogue of sorts. This just feels like a strange place to cut the story off and it seems like there's something I'm forgetting to convey. Ah, any feedback would be awesome.

Also, anyone who can guess what the chapter titles are a reference to gets ten points!

Thank you to my reviewers; I assure you, this is my first try at KND stuff!


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